Summary:
Zip code 24228 in Clintwood, Virginia is home to exactly one middle school, Ridgeview Middle, which serves grades 5 through 8 and has 586 students enrolled. Ridgeview Middle is part of Dickenson County Public Schools, a district ranked 36th out of 131 districts in Virginia with a 4-star rating. The school itself jumped from a 2-star rating (230th out of 419 schools) in 2024-2025 to a 3-star rating (141st out of 416 schools) in 2025-2026, placing it in the 66th percentile statewide. With nearly 97% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 29.7%—double the state average of 14.8%—Ridgeview faces significant challenges, yet it still outperforms the state in most subjects.
Academically, Ridgeview's biggest strengths are in Algebra I and Geography, where 8th graders achieved 100% proficiency in 2025-2026, far exceeding state averages of 93.26% and 68.33%, respectively. The school also posted strong results in 5th-grade math (85.12% vs. 72.39% statewide), 6th-grade math (80.83% vs. 63.19%), and 6th-grade reading (86.67% vs. 73.00%). However, math proficiency declines sharply as students advance: from 85.12% in 5th grade to just 49% in 8th grade. This creates a striking divide where the accelerated Algebra I cohort excels while the general 8th-grade math assessment remains an area of concern. 8th-grade science (58.78%) also trails the state average of 64.72%.
The school saw widespread year-over-year gains, including a 13.43-point jump in 6th-grade reading and a 13.22-point gain in 6th-grade math. In almost every subject, Ridgeview's proficiency rate matches the district's rate exactly, confirming it is the sole driver of Dickenson County's middle school results. The per-student spending of $9,168 and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.9 provide additional context. Overall, Ridgeview Middle is a school that achieves well above expectations given its high-poverty profile, with clear strengths in advanced academics and social studies, and clear opportunities for growth in upper-grade math and science.
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